Deja Vu
by TheGirlWithTheDinosaurTattoo
Summary: Destiny can be a funny thing, especially when a certain Trickster is involved. Grace and Serra Browning met the Winchester Brothers long before Winchester Ranch came along, even if they don't remember it. Rated M for sexual content. A lot of it.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nine Years To Go

"Tell your sister to hurry the hell up," Truman Browning murmured to his youngest daughter, Serendipity. He stuffed his change into his pocket as he grabbed the bag of snacks from the counter top. "What is taking so long?"

"Dude, Dad," Serra began. "She's female. Things take longer in the bathroom."

Truman clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I'm waiting in the car," he said, turning on a booted heel and walking through the shop, sidestepping the small man that stood in the aisle, gazing at porno magazines. The man glanced up, smiling coyly at the floor and revealing deep dimples in his both his cheeks as Truman walked by and then turned to watch the younger sister head towards the gas station bathroom.

Serra banged on the closed door of the bathroom and raised her voice enough to be heard, "You'd better hurry up. Dad's about to leave you here."

Grace's voice strained in response, "Yeah," she grunted. "I'm coming."

"Yeah, you are," a voice whispered, inaudible to Serendipity.

Standing outside, Serra leaned her head closer towards the door of the bathroom, listening. "Dude, you okay?"

She was out of breath when she answered, "Yeah, Lucky," Grace replied. "Go away."

Shrugging to herself and making a face, Serra turned to follow her father out of the convenient store, the small man watching her walk by once more. He shoved his hands in his pockets after running a hand through his light, whiskey-colored hair, and grinned as he approached the bathroom, leaning his head to listen.

Her voice was a strained whisper, "You need to hurry this up," she said, laughing slightly. "My family is going to leave my ass here and then you'll be stuck with me."

A young man's voice answered; his voice just as tight. "You're not convincing me," he replied. There was a thud from the door of the bathroom as the couple landed against it and the dimpled man grinned, staring at the door. "We'll just run away together and start a new friggin' life." The young man's voice was strained and he exhaled hard, trying to catch his breath. "Oh, sweet Jesus," he gasped.

Grace giggled and panted along with him. "Tell me about it," she whispered.

"Gabriel," a scolding voice startled the small, grinning man out of his concentration. "What is going on here?"

The man called Gabriel turned slowly at the taller woman, wearing a professional looking suit and black heels. He was still smiling, his dimples creasing his cheeks with a mischievous grin. "I'm helping, Pahaliah," he replied as he shrugged nonchalantly. "The world could use a bit more star-crossed loving."

Pahaliah shook her head curtly. "You know it is not time for them yet," she replied, leaning forward a bit, lowering her voice. "How could you do this? You upset the balance! The Elder Winchester must fulfill his destiny before they unite."

"Oh, come on," Gabriel answered, rolling his eyes. "You know he could still be the Vessel while he is falling in love." Gabriel ran a hand through his long hair again, grinning up at Pahaliah. "He can multitask! Let the kids have a little fun."

"You need to cease and desist this very instant," Pahaliah argued. "We know he will fall in love with her if he hasn't already, he will follow her to the ends of the Earth, and we will end up losing this war." She glanced at the bathroom door as the couple's voices began speaking again, smiles obviously plastered across their faces, just by their tone. "It is not time for them to unite. They both have a job to do." She pointed with a manicured finger towards the door, "As soon as they emerge, you need to wipe their memories or I will."

Gabriel looked annoyed, rolling his eyes and shrugging off-handedly. "Whatever," he said. "Just remember that I outrank you."

Sighing heavily, Pahaliah closed her eyes, begging patience. "That might be, Gabriel," she answered. "I think you need to remember that just because you are an Archangel, you do not get to change Destinies."

His sun-kissed whiskey eyes met hers and he smiled roguishly. "I thought getting to do what I wanted came with the whole 'Archangel' territory."

"And keep Eros out of it too," she continued, completely ignoring his sentiment. "He has a job to do that does not involve interrupting the future of the planet."

With a blink of his eyes, Pahaliah was gone and Gabriel turned towards the sound of the bathroom door being unlocked. A young man with flushed pink cheeks and haphazard light brown hair tumbled out of the bathroom closely followed by a girl with long blonde, wavy hair. Her blue eyes found his green gaze lustily and they kissed again as he stumbled backwards, trying to find his footing. Gabriel couldn't help but stare: they were so perfect for each other. He sighed heavily, watching them part ways at the end of the aisle, reaching one last time for each other's fingertips. She adjusted the white deep v-neck shirt she wore, pulling long necklaces out of it and running her hands through her hair. He pulled his dark blue flannel back on, glancing back at her once more as she used her back to push the glass door open. Winking at her, he grinned and mouthed, "I'll call you."

She pressed her lips into a silent giggle and looked away, licking her lips. Gabriel followed her to the rust bucket, primer gray Chevy Chevelle where her father and sister sat, waiting for her to return. She was so happy…happier than Gabriel had ever seen her and it pained him to know that Pahaliah was right…for now at least.

"Grace, what took you so long?" Serra asked, annoyed. "You've been in there like, fifteen minutes."

The young woman smiled and blushed before regaining her composure as she ducked her head to collapse into the Chevelle next to her father. "Nothing," she lied, glancing in the rear view mirror as the young man she had been with in the bathroom came out of the convenient store, holding a bag full of snacks. They held each other's gaze in the mirror for longer than was necessary and finally, Grace sighed and looked away, still smiling.

Gabriel sighed heavily again and snapped his fingers as the Chevelle drove away. Grace took a deep breath and sighed, leaning her head back on the headrest and closing her eyes, the smile falling slowly off her face. He turned to watch the young man dip his head and sit in the passenger seat of a black Chevy Impala as the engine started. Gabriel snapped his fingers again, staring at the young man.

"Sorry, Deano," he whispered and watched as Dean's grin faded as well, reaching into the plastic bag and handing a soda behind him to his floppy-haired little brother.

The Impala pulled away from the curb, heading in the opposite direction of the Chevelle and Gabriel shook his head in disappointment. "You said that would work," he muttered, seemingly to himself, but a chubby, innocent looking man appeared next to him, wearing nothing but red underwear.

"Well, to be fair, it did work. They screwed in the bathroom. They couldn't keep their hands off of each other," he answered, grinning. "But it's too soon, Gabe! We know they'll fall in love. That's easy…I don't even have to get involved," the naked man answered, grinning. "That was fun though. I want them to do it again."

Gabriel nodded, his dimples showing slightly. "Yeah, we will for sure. They're fun to listen to." He turned towards the taller man and grinned. "Don't worry, Eros, man. We'll wait awhile and do it again. Pahaliah can't boss us around forever."

Eros smiled and clapped his hands childishly. "I've always wanted to put them together. Everyone keeps saying, 'Let it happen, let it happen.' 'They have a destiny!'" He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Everyone is so bossy about them! True love lives on! Dean and Grace forever!"

Turning and furrowing his eyebrows, Gabriel chuckled. "What are you, their groupie?"

"Oh, posh," Eros said, flaring his hand dismissively. "You're just as bad as me."

Laughing, Gabriel nodded. "Yeah, I've got a soft spot for the Winchesters. Someday, I'd like to see him as happy as he was in that bathroom."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eight And A Half Years To Go

"There are supposed to be books here about demons, but I haven't found any yet," Grace whispered to her sister, bending lower so her voice wouldn't carry. "It's like they're hiding the really nasty ones somewhere else. Maybe there's a restricted section."

Serra rolled her eyes and shrugged. "If we can't find them here, maybe we should head to the university in town. I heard Dad tell Emery that there are a lot of ancient books there."

"They're not going to let us handle books like that," Grace answered, re-shelving the tattered book about witchcraft. "Anything that has any valuable information in it is going to be behind lock and key." She shifted her gaze to the boy that walked slowly down the same aisle, looking casually at the spines of the books, using one finger to touch each one carefully.

There was a spark of familiarity when she locked eyes with his green eyes. Grace couldn't help but smile at him as he winked and continued to saunter down the long row of books.

"Did you just smile at that boy?" Serendipity whispered, tiptoeing towards her sister's face.

Grace had a hard time breaking her gaze away from his beautiful face. "No," she replied automatically.

"Yes you did," Serra accused. She moved her body away from her sister to stare at him from around her shoulder. "Oh, I totally understand why," she breathed. "He is gorgeous."

"Shut up," Grace spat, her teeth clenched together. "He's going to hear you."

"Oh, let him hear."

Grace rolled her eyes and pushed her little sister behind her. "You are only fourteen," she said, "calm yourself down."

"You're not that much older," Serra whined. "Fourteen isn't that much younger than nineteen."

"There's a huge difference," Grace argued. "Go back to Dad with this stuff," she continued, getting back to business. "I'm going upstairs to see if there's more on the local lore. There's a church out back that I want to check out, too." Grace glanced at her watch, still eyeing the boy in the leather jacket. "Tell Dad I'll meet you guys at the diner up the street in an hour to regroup."

"You don't get to boss me around," Serra growled, taking the stack of books begrudgingly.

"Sure I do," Grace replied and the boy smiled at her comment, moving closer still. "That's what being a big sister means."

"Ugh," Serra added, walking away. She glanced back once, staring at Grace, but she had already begun to ignore her little sister, having eyes only for the boy approaching her.

He turned to watch Serra walk away and then smiled at Grace, "Little siblings are the worst," he said, closing the gap between him and Grace.

"She's not so bad," Grace replied, a grin creeping its way across her face.

He faced his body towards her and took another step. "Sure," he agreed. Taking a nervous breath, he opened his mouth and held out his hand. "I'm Dean," he said, his green eyes penetrating Grace's very soul.

Grace licked her lips and hesitated only seconds. "Grace," she replied, making contact and shaking his hand. Dean watched curiously as she seemed to stare off into the distance for about three seconds and then she was back, blinking her blue eyes and flushing; a pink, rosy glow spreading across her cheeks.

"Where did you go?" Dean asked, taking a step forward, now only inches apart from her, breathing her sweet scent as he moved closer.

"I'm right here," Grace replied automatically. She glanced down at their hands, still intertwined and moving closer to Dean's chest.

"They move fast, don't they?" Eros whispered loudly to Gabriel who stood two book rows back from the young couple. "Not wasting a minute!"

"Shut up," Gabriel mouthed, turning his attention back to Dean and Grace. Even though they couldn't be seen by humans, Gabriel wanted nothing to interrupt them…it was hard enough to get them in the same place at the same time. "Just…watch. Enjoy the fruits of our labor."

Eros nodded slowly and turned to stare back at Dean who had moved closer still to Grace, refusing to release her hand or look away from her blue gaze. "Is it true she's half angel?" Eros whispered.

"No one knows," Gabriel answered. "She hasn't shown her true colors yet."

"How does that come about?"

Shrugging, Gabriel watched as Dean leaned in to kiss Grace tenderly, his hand snaking its way up her neck and into her long, blonde hair. "Don't know yet," Gabriel replied. "I just want to get them together as many times as I can before shit hits the fan."

Eros clicked his tongue. "Such language!" he scolded. He was quiet a minute, watching Dean and Grace slowly pull layers of clothes off of each other, dropping flannels and jackets on the floor next to them. "They're not even going to find an empty room or something?"

Laughing quietly to himself, Gabriel shook his head. "They're in an ancient religions section. They're basically in a separate room already."

"What's the point of this, Gabe?" Eros asked. "I mean, they end up together eventually anyway. What's the rush?"

Sighing, the angel pursed his lips, showing his dimples once more. "I don't know," he began, shrugging. "My family hates each other and Dean will eventually have to kill my brother…or lock him up, which means his brother will go out in a blaze of glory, too. I just figured that if they're together as much as possible, maybe their memories will kick in eventually…maybe they'll remember each other and know that they've always been loved by someone else."

"That's really sweet, Gabe," Eros said quietly. "You're a romantic."

Gabriel sighed heavily as he watched Dean and Grace sink to the floor, bare-chested and flushed. "No," he argued, "I'm horny."

Dean was on top of Grace, running his hands through her hair, breathing heavily as they found a rhythm. She gasped as he found a sensitive spot on her neck and attacked it with fervor. They kissed passionately again, their eyes closing in pleasure and small moans emanated from Grace every time Dean moved.

Gabriel and Eros watched from their position behind the shelves and eventually, Eros sighed longingly amidst the moans from both Dean and Grace as she arched her back, trying to get as close as possible to Dean as they both sighed in unison. "See?" he said, gesturing with his hand, "Only he can make her do that."

Glancing up at him, Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows. "What? Seriously?"

Nodding, Eros raised his eyebrows. "Yeah! She's been using her body to stay alive for so long, she has become kind of…unattached to it. When she's with him, she feels everything again." Eros sighed happily as he watched Dean roll to lie next to her on the carpeted floor. They kissed again as Dean stroked her hair out of her face, speaking quietly to Grace. "Look, he's already in love with her."

"And that's why you need to stop this," a firm female voice declared from behind them. "I am ashamed that you are here, Eros, abandoning your post to be a part of this puppetry."

"We're not controlling them!" Eros declared, stepping away from the angel that had appeared behind them. "We just get them in the same location. They do the rest, I swear to you."

Gabriel smiled, "Pahaliah, fancy meeting you here."

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Gabriel, you have been warned."

"I know, I know," Gabriel said, turning towards Pahaliah. "I'm not exactly a rule follower, you know." He grinned at her and tilted his head. "You know, you and I could hook up. Make all this go away."

Pahaliah closed her eyes slowly and shook her head, completely disapproving. "Clean up this mess, immediately. They cannot keep meeting like this. They cannot keep fornicating," she said stomping her foot for emphasis. Gabriel seemed to bring out the worst in other angels. "What would happen if he was to impregnate her, Gabriel? What then?"

"He won't," Gabriel replied, shaking his head and rolled his eyes. "They're using protection."

"A child cannot be created until their paths have been walked correctly. You must stay true to the timeline."

Eros glanced at Gabriel, grinning from ear to ear. "Gabe! You didn't tell me they have a baby!"

Ignoring him, Gabriel shook his head. "I stay true to the timeline and my brother gets locked up in the cage all over again, or worse, killed." He sighed, "Is it so bad, having Luci out?"

A grave look came over Pahaliah's face. "You and I both know that Lucifer would slaughter them without a second thought," she replied. "Lucifer belongs in the cage, whether he is your brother or not."

Running a hand over his face, Gabriel shook his head. "So there's no sympathy for the devil, huh?" he sighed, turning back towards Dean and Grace, still lying in the middle of the carpeted aisle of books, towards the back of the library. They had eyes only for each other so Gabriel shifted his attention back towards the female angel that seemed to want nothing more than to irritate him. "Are you just babysitting me?"

She sighed exaggeratedly. "If you stopped interfering with Dean Winchester and Grace Browning, I would stop having to babysit you."

Gabriel seemed to consider this and a sly smile crept across his face. He shook his hair out of his face and smiled up at Pahaliah. "Okay," he said smugly. "You got yourself a deal."

"Finally," she sighed, turning away from both of the men. Eyeing Eros momentarily, she furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "You should considering putting more clothes on."

"Why would I do that?" Eros asked, genuinely interested.

"Clean this up, including their memories," Pahaliah declared with a wave of her hand. "Make sure you stay out of their business and I will not need to return."

"Aw," Gabriel moaned jokingly. "I'd miss our trysts."

With a final look of distain, Pahaliah disappeared. Gabriel chuckled and turned back to Dean and Grace, who were finally pulling layers of clothing back on and helping each other up. "How are you going to hold up your end of the deal?" Eros asked, leaning on the bookcase behind him. "I know you want this to keep going."

"I have a few ideas," Gabriel smiled. "They don't call me The Trickster for nothing."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Five Years To Go

She hated research almost as much as she hated sitting still. Serendipity watched her sister flip through yet another book at the local community college's library on witchcraft and sighed heavily.

"If you're so bored, why I am doing all the work?" Grace asked, not bothering to look up.

"Because books are effing boring," Serra replied, leaning her head on her palm of her hand. "Why can't we just go in, guns blazing and call it a day?"

Grace set the book down and stared at her sister. "Because we're hunters, not serial killers," Grace retorted. "We're not just going to spray and hope for the best. The coven isn't that big." She pulled her attention back to the book that was splayed open and continued. "I'm not going to kill a civilian because she's friends with a witch."

Serra tapped her fingernails on the desk and glanced at a tall man wearing a flannel and jeans as he walked by. "Oh," she said, sitting up a little straighter. "That's nice."

Grace glanced towards him and shrugged. "Yeah, he's pretty," she agreed, holding up the book towards Serra, "but look at this."

"You look at this. I'm gonna go look at that," Serra pointed towards where the man had walked past. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Serra," Grace sighed, but gave up quickly. Her sister was already in pursuit.

Gabriel stepped aside to allow the younger Browning sister to pass. He wasn't breaking any of the rules that Pahaliah had set, and the apocalypse had passed. His brother Lucifer was back in the cage and the Winchesters were once again united and hunting. The fact that Sam had no soul wasn't too bothersome of a problem…Gabriel had decided to encourage the meeting between Serendipity and Sam just to get a taste of what they would do if they were introduced this early. Eros had decided to stay out of the way this time around because the idea that Sam was without a soul frightened him, so Gabriel decided to press on without him.

Turning the corner behind Serendipity, Gabriel caught sight of his two star-crossed lovers make eye contact from across the room. He knew Serra was attracted instantly, but in the future timeline that held weddings and children and farm land, Sam had a soul. Sam was whole. Gabriel had no idea how this would play out.

Serra approached Sam slowly, almost predatory. She tilted her head as she reached out to touch his shoulder to get his attention. He couldn't hear what was being said, but Gabriel got the feeling that Sam wouldn't be holding back either. He glanced down at Serra, smiled and moved closer towards her face to whisper in her ear. She nodded and with heavy lids, she stared up at him, completely entranced. Setting the books he held on the table behind him, Sam wrapped an arm around Serra's shoulders possessively. They moved to the back of the study room silently, hands already exploring each other's body.

Gabriel smiled, knowing the truth: no matter the situation, Winchester would always attract Browning and Browning would always attract Winchester. Serra pushed Sam into a vacant study room, pulled the blinds down across the windows and turned off the lights. He could hear the slide of the deadbolt as one of them locked the door.

"You're not even going to let me watch?" Gabriel muttered under his breath. "What kind of public sex is that?"

From across the room, Dean Winchester was standing in the middle of the university library, seemingly looking for something. As he glanced over to where Sam had been standing, Gabriel watched as he furrowed his eyebrows, stared at the study room where the blinds had been pulled shut and sighed heavily, shaking his head. Gabriel stood to move towards the room, curious as to what Dean would do upon discovering his brother and future sister-in-law.

Dean tapped on the glass window and waited impatiently, tapping his foot and looking around. As he lifted his hand to tap again, the door opened slightly revealing a shirtless Sam, standing just inside, hiding himself from the rest of the library.

Standing with his mouth open, staring at his brother, Gabriel couldn't help but laugh, slapping his leg. Dean blinked slowly, almost in disbelief. Gabriel moved closer to the stack of magazines in the corner of the room, listening hard.

"Are you having sex?"

Sam pursed his lips, tilting his head slightly. "Not this very second," he said slowly.

Dean reacted by squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head vigorously. "Sam, I thought we talked about this. You can't just go around, sweeping women off their feet in random places. That is _my_ job."

The taller brother tilted his head again, his expression vacant. "Does that mean you want to join us?" he took a step back and gestured to the dimly lit room.

Taking a physical step back, Dean held up both of his hands, palms out. "Whoa, whoa, Deuce Bigelow, just…just take a breath there."

The corners of Sam's mouth curved downwards into a thoughtful frown. "I'm just trying to be polite," he replied, shrugging slightly. He turned at a female voice from inside the room.

"You know, you being soulless has removed all of your boundaries," Dean said, still holding up his hands. "Look, just…meet me back at the motel." He turned to walk away, but changed his mind. "And don't knock her up. I'm not ready to be an uncle just because you can't control yourself."

Gabriel stepped away, out of sight from Dean and Sam and disappeared, reappearing completely invisible to Serra and Sam as he closed the door behind them. Serra was sprawled out on the couch, beckoning Sam with a single finger. Her flannel was unbuttoned, revealing a lacy black bra underneath. She was flushed, her cheeks burning bright pink in the darkened room. There was already a dark blossom of a bruise low on her neck, obviously a place Sam had concentrated for more than a few minutes.

Sam shut the door and locked it behind him once more, walking towards Serra on the couch. He dipped his head towards her, using his arms to support his weight above her on the arm of the couch. She sighed in contentment as Sam decided to pull her hips lower, undoing her belt and jeans without breaking contact with her.

"Wait, wait," she gasped, "I don't even know your last name. I'm in a friggin' Carrie Underwood song."

He pulled away, taking a breath and smiling seductively, still working her belt. "Winchester," he murmured, kissing her neck again. "My name is Sam Fucking Winchester."

"I like it," Serra breathed as she grinned up at him, pushing her body closer to his. She shed the unbuttoned flannel and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, tracing the thick ropes of muscle that wound through his shoulders with her fingertips.

Gabriel took a step back to sit on the table behind him, making the wood creak beneath his weight. Serra and Sam froze where they were, their hunting instincts kicking in. Making a face and not moving an inch, Gabriel held his breath even though he knew neither could hear or see him. Satisfied with their safety for the time being, Sam turned his attention back to Serra, holding the back of her head and tangling his fingers in her long, dark hair. She gasped in pleasure, her nails digging into his flesh as Sam pushed her back on the couch and tugged her jeans off, dropping them in the corner of the room. He pulled his own pants down, considering her momentarily and rejoined her on the couch.

Gabriel sat with the tips of his fingers in his mouth in anticipation. He grinned, nibbling on his nails and didn't even notice when Eros appeared next to him.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Eros asked, sighing comically and putting his hands on his bare hips. Instead of red underwear, he was sporting bright purple. "You've been at this for what, three years now?"

"Four," Gabriel said without looking up. "Serendipity's legal now."

Eros rolled his eyes and turned away from Sam and Serra. "You're gonna get us all in trouble," he continued, facing the opposite wall. "The other angels are on to you. The Winchesters know you're not just The Trickster and Pahaliah is going to track you down and rip off your wings."

"Ah," Gabriel stopped Eros and held up a finger. "She wouldn't dare. Besides, I don't know what the harm is. This is practice!"

"This is a porno."

Gabriel shrugged. "Potato, po-tot-oh," he said. "Serra needs to know what Sam is like without a soul! Maybe she would like him better like this."

Eros gasped with child-like flare. "Don't you say that, Gabe! She needs to be united with Sam as a whole. You know he would leave her eventually if he never got his soul back."

Gabriel shrugged as he smiled, showing off his deep dimples once again. "Yeah, but look at them," he said, gesturing. "They're like ancient Greek statues. They're fine art."

"They're fornicating on a study couch."

Gabriel nodded with his eyebrows raised. "But they look really good doing it."

Both Eros and Gabriel turned as Serra gasped, her nails digging in to Sam's shoulder, leaving red marks as she dragged her nails down his arms. Sam grunted and pushed into Serra hard, one last time, finally sighing and rolling to the side, holding her on the couch with a free arm.

Rubbing his hands together, Gabriel smiled and glanced around the room. "Well, I can hear Pahaliah, so you might want to vamoose before she gets here." Eros shook his head, disappointed at Gabriel. "I won't tell her that you were here. I need more ideas for my Casa Erotica series. That's all this really is, Eros. I'm bored."

Clicking his tongue, Eros put his hands back on his hips. "I can see that, Gabe, but I'm not going to let you use any more of my cupids. They keep getting in trouble and being sent back for training. I'm running low." Gabriel laughed. "I'm serious, Gabriel. You can't use them to set up the Winchester/Browning couples anymore. You're on your own."

"I always have been, Eros. It's what happens when you are a part of a dysfunctional family."

With that, Eros disappeared and Gabriel was left standing in the middle of the study room as Sam and Serra lay on the couch, almost completely nude, still wrapped in each other's arms. Eventually, they stood; exchanging phone numbers and Serra disappeared through the door to go find her sister. As Gabriel watched Sam's reaction, he smiled to himself as he realized that soul or not, Sam Fucking Winchester was still hooked on the younger Browning sister. There was no stopping fate, even if he wasn't whole. Gabriel chuckled to himself, snapped his fingers, and watched as Sam dropped the tiny piece of paper with Serendipity's phone number to the trash can. His memory of the interlude was gone, but his rosy cheeks and disheveled hair told Gabriel that his body's memory remained intact.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Four And A Half Years To Go

Pahaliah stood in front of the court of angels and took a deep breath, knowing that if she spoke, it would only put her farther down into the pit of despair. She had failed over and over again to control Gabriel and his antics and now she was paying for it.

"No one has heard from or seen him in over a month, Pahaliah," the elder spoke clearly and with more distain than was necessary. "You were specially trained to stay on him, no matter his destination."

She took a deep breath, straightening her suit jacket. "I apologize," Pahaliah confessed, "it was not my intent, but with respect, he is one of the Archangels. I am unsure of how I am supposed to keep track of one of the Seven. They have nicknamed him 'The Trickster' for a reason."

"I do not care if he is one of the Seven or not. He is still able to be tracked by using spells that you have been taught. Eros has been helping him. Use the cupids if you need to, but stop him from this business."

"Understood," Pahaliah agreed curtly. She bowed her head and instantly, the room was empty and she was alone with her thoughts. She pressed her teeth together and shook her head dismissively, anger towards Gabriel coursing through her. How dare he meddle with fate? How dare he mix the true matches? This was finally too much.

Closing her eyes, she listened for the Gabriel's telltale signature. Slowly, she narrowed down his location and decided to wait on acting, considering his plan was already in action. She waited patiently for it to play out.

…

"I can't just go hunting at the drop of a hat right now, Serra," Grace whispered across the table at the diner where they sat. "I got called for a sub job tomorrow and I don't want to miss out on the money."

Serra chewed her hamburger noisily. "They're the same coven that Miguel and his family and I chased all those years ago down in the south. Come on," she said, lifting her voice a bit, glancing at the door to the restaurant as two tall men walked in. "We'll go take care of the coven tonight and you can be back in the classroom by tomorrow morning, easy."

"You know it's not that easy," Grace's voice dripped with distain. "It's never just that easy. Something always goes wrong, something is always off. We won't be able to take out the entire coven on our own. Just call Paul or Miguel or someone and have them take care of it." She sat up, furrowing her eyebrows. "Besides you have class tomorrow and I'm tired of having to pay for classes you have already taken because you had to take an incomplete the first time."

Still chewing distractedly, Serra was still staring at the men in the front of the diner, waiting to be seated. "I'm not even listening to you anymore," Serra said, setting the hamburger back down on her plate. " _Look_ at him _."_

Grace glanced up into the window's reflection to watch who her sister was pointing at. She caught a glimpse of a shorter man with deep dimples and whiskey brown hair, but when she turned to get a better look, he was gone. In his place were two tall men, both wearing flannel and jackets with jeans and boots. "Uh, huh," Grace replied. "See? Other hunters are here, so forget about the vamps."

Sitting back in her side of the booth, Serra tilted her head. "How do you know they're hunters?" she asked, taking a bite of French fry.

Grace leaned over her food, taking a bite of tuna melt. "The tall one has a blade in his belt and the other one is packing a nine mil or a forty-five."

Serra made a face. "How do you possibly see that?"

Lifting her eyebrows, Grace sighed. "Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance," she said, taking another bite. Rolling her eyes, Serra slid towards the edge of the booth. "What are you doing?" Grace asked, looking up.

"I'm gonna go hunt me a hunter," she replied.

Grace put the tuna melt down on her plate and watched her sister stand from the booth. "I have dibs on the tall one," she said, picking up a fry.

"Fine with me," Serra replied. "The shorter one is hotter anyway."

Gabriel stepped to the side, invisibly watching Serra saunter up to Dean Winchester and put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He turned immediately, looking for the source of the physical contact and grinned when he saw Serendipity.

It had been a close one before, when Grace looked up to use the reflection to watch the brothers instead of turning around. He would have to be more careful. Gabriel always forgot how observant Grace was.

Sitting down at the booth next to the one the boys now shared with Serra, Gabriel leaned back slightly to hear the interaction happening between the eldest Winchester and the younger Browning. This would be an interesting situation, considering it was against the Greater Plan. He knew they shared a chemistry…he just wanted to see how much.

"I'm Lucky," Serra introduced herself using her childhood nickname.

Dean chuckled, glancing at Sam. "Lucky?" he asked, repeating the name doubtingly. "Well, Luck, I'm Dean and this is my brother Sam."

Sammy nodded in response, his eyes flicking towards Grace in the booth across the restaurant. Serra followed his gaze and grinned. "That's my sister, Grace," she said, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder. "She's into you."

Sam's face flushed and he stared down at his water cup, condensation dripping down the side. Dean grinned and nodded with his head towards the other Browning. "You heard Lucky, Sam. Go get you some!"

Grinning, Serra nodded and leaned towards Dean, taking a deep breath through her nose, trying to absorb all of his scent. He smelled like whiskey and engine grease, with a hint of mint from the gum he was chewing. Automatically, he wrapped an arm around Serra's shoulders as the waitress came by to take their order. Dean followed his brother's eye line and smiled shyly towards the woman sitting in the booth. "She's pretty, Sammy," he continued towards his brother. "If you don't go get her, I might."

"Hey now," Serra said, smacking his chest. Dean grinned sheepishly down at her.

Gabriel smiled from where he sat. It was an interesting experiment, switching the attraction between the couples. He knew very well that Fate had a plan to unite Dean and Grace, then Sam and Serra, and he knew there was purpose behind it, but it was always fun to throw a wrench into Heaven's plans. It was also interesting to see that Dean was still very much drawn to Grace.

Sammy stood slowly, leaving Dean and Serra in the booth alone together. She leaned up towards his face and didn't seem to be shy. She grinned and licked her lips, inviting him closer towards her face. He smiled slyly in response and dipped his head, kissing her softly. Gabriel watched as Serra's eyes fell closed, but Dean glanced up once more at Grace, sitting across the room. He finally closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss.

Turning his attention towards Sam as he approached the elder sister, he smiled shyly and introduced himself to her. "Hi, Grace," he began; pink flushing his cheeks once more. "I'm Sam."

Grace flicked her bright blue eyes up towards the taller Winchester. She smiled, completely at ease around the opposite sex and leaned back in her chair. "Did my sister send you over here?"

Sam nodded sheepishly and glanced up at Serendipity and Dean. "Yeah, she said," he cleared his throat nervously, searching for the words to explain to Grace. "She said you were into me."

Grace chuckled, looking back at Dean and Serra as well. All she could see was her sister's lean frame and dark auburn hair tangled through Dean's fingers as they embraced in the booth. "Yeah, well," she sighed, turning back to Sam. "She wasn't lying. Have a seat."

Gabriel sighed, wondering if his latest dabbling would end up working out. Dean and Serra were constantly looking for their next conquest. He had no doubt that Dean and Serra would seal the deal, but Grace and Sam were both naturally more…shy? Introverted? Gabriel made a face and crossed his arms across his chest, flicking a single finger towards Sam and Grace.

Leaning forward across the table towards Sammy, Grace grinned at him. "It's nice to meet you Sam," she began, tilting her head so that her long blonde hair rolled forward. Sammy returned the smile, reaching his hands across the table to tug Grace from her seat and join him on the booth. Gabriel could see the vacant expression on Grace's face momentarily as Sam's memories and thoughts washed through her mind. He didn't seem to acknowledge it as she collapsed in the booth next to him, leaning close. Immediately, Gabriel's encouraging finger pushed Sam into physical contact, leaning forward and wrapping his long, muscular arms around Grace and dipping his head to kiss her. He moaned under her touch, the beginnings of desire pulsing through both of their bodies. Gabriel smiled, leaning on his palms as he watched.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Four And A Half Years To Go

Both couples had enjoyed their time together and had eaten a meal, almost qualifying as a date, which honestly, was more than Gabriel usually gave them. Dean had glanced towards Sam at the end of the meal and lifted his eyebrows asking the question, "Can I have the room?" silently.

Sam had consented, considering that Grace was already leading him towards her car at the end of the parking lot, her hand clasped around his. Gabriel stood on the curb, trying to decide which couple to follow first. He decided on Dean and Serra, knowing that their interlude would be over much quicker. They were both so volatile, their passion would end up taking over and Gabriel would miss something if he followed Sam and Grace first.

After a few minutes, Dean and Serra stumbled into the motel room, still locked together in a passionate kiss, and tripped over the army green duffle that was lying in the middle of the floor. Catching herself and not missing a beat, she pushed Dean down onto the bed and grinned as she ripped off her outer layers, dropping them at her feet. She quickly kicked off her boots and jeans, joining him on the bed, straddling his waist as they both worked to get Dean's flannel and shirt off.

Dean was all hands, caressing her skin and tracing the tattoos on her side and hip. "Man, those are hot," he growled, pulling her down closer to kiss her again.

Gabriel nodded his agreement with Dean and tilted his head, considering the pair. Their movements were disjointed and awkward at times. Obviously, as Serra pushed down onto Dean and gasped in pleasure, she found a rushed rhythm and they were getting the job done, but Gabriel sighed, knowing for sure that this wasn't the pair that belonged together.

Lifting himself up onto the dresser behind him, Gabriel leaned into the wall and inspected his hands, buying time. They were fun to watch, that was the truth, but because Gabriel had forced it, he didn't get nearly the happiness from the experience that he thought he would.

"I'm getting damn feelings for their relationships," he sighed, shaking his head. "Now my OTPs are all screwy."

Eros appeared next to him, his hands over his face. "Gabriel," he began, still hiding his face. "Pahaliah is looking for you. She knows you mixed the matches." Eros lowered his hands slightly, peeking over the side of his index fingers. "That just looks wrong, Gabe. They're all awkward and…sweaty."

Gabriel tilted his head and sighed, nodding. "I know," he replied, pursing his lips. "It was fun while it lasted. They're both too…something."

"They're both too controlling," Eros agreed, lowering his hands completely and watching as Dean and Serra rolled right off the edge of the bed, both of them grunting on impact. "It's like she keeps trying to pin him and he, well…"

"Yeah, he doesn't like it."

"Not even a little."

Gabriel glanced at Eros and lifted his eyebrows playfully. "You wanna go see how Sam and Grace are doing?"

…

"This is where you live?" Sam asked Grace as they approached the house that she and Serra shared.

Grace glanced at him and grinned. "Yeah," she replied, "I feel weird about taking you here…" She faded off as Sam leaned towards her, cupping her face and kissing her slowly at first, then more passionately as she turned to face him, her foot still on the brake.

Losing focus on her car, Grace let go of the clutch and her car stalled in the driveway. Ignoring it completely, she ripped the key from the ignition and climbed over the center console, finding a place in Sam's lap. She combed her fingers through his long hair and her groaned in response, fueling their fire.

Sam opened the door of the car and Grace backed out, still locked on Sam. As Gabriel and Eros appeared in the living room, Sam was pushing Grace through the doorway, dropping keys, her purse, and littering a trail of clothes as they kicked the door shut.

"They're more fluid," Eros commented as they both turned to watch as Grace collapsed onto the couch behind her. She smiled coyly as Sam dropped his pants and boxers, rejoining her on the couch. Sam took her arms, pulling them above her head as he attacked her neck, receiving a gasp of pleasure from Grace and she closed her eyes slowly.

Gabriel watched, still feeling like there was something missing. As much as he thought Grace and Sam were enjoying each other, Grace almost seemed distracted. "Does she seem bored to you?" Gabriel asked, glancing at Eros.

"I don't know if bored is the right word," Eros replied, putting his hands on his cubby hips. "She's not connected to him the same way she is when she's with Dean."

"Same with Sam, I think," Gabriel commented, moving closer to the couple. "He's not breathing nearly as heavily as when he's with Serra. It's like he's not as committed."

"Huh," Eros answered, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "Does this mean the experiment is over? Can we go back to waiting for the timeline to play itself out now?"

"Not quite. I still want to know if what you said earlier is true."

Eros turned and threw a questioning look at Gabriel.

"I want to see if Sammy can make her do _that._ " Gabriel grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "I mean, does it have to be Dean? Or can it be any Winchester?"

Shaking his head, Eros sighed, remembering the conversation from the university library. "No," he sighed. "Only Dean. If she doesn't do that arching-her-back-thing, she's faking it."

"You did _not_ ," a female voice scolded from behind the men, still staring at Grace and Sam locked in an embrace. "You did _not,_ " she repeated, seemingly unable to form coherent words. Pahaliah's eyes were wide, staring at the couple on the couch, then back to Gabriel and Eros. She was shocked beyond words.

Gabriel turned and grinned proudly. "I did!" he answered, gesturing to the couple. "Look at them go!" Sam was in the middle of pulling Grace's hips lower in order to peel her jeans from her body. As he eased himself into Grace, she gripped his shoulders and cried out slightly, allowing her nails to dig into his flesh. Sam pushed harder, using his legs against the arm of the couch.

There was a creak and a pop from the couch and the couple froze, Grace's face breaking into a grin. "Don't…" she gasped, "don't break my couch."

Sam laughed and made the move to flip her onto her back, but the couch was not as wide as he thought it was. They tumbled together off the edge, almost hitting the coffee table. Grace landed on top of Sam, holding his arms in place and finding the same rhythm as before, forcing Sam to moan loudly.

Pahaliah held out her hands, palms out, and tried to wave the scene from her sight. "What are you thinking, Gabriel?" she asked, closing her eyes and turning to stare at the archangel. "Why would you put them together? You know that is not the path!"

Gabriel shrugged and grinned. "It was experimental love in the name of science," he replied.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Four Years To Go

The doorbell rang, echoing its happy tune through the house causing Grace and Serra to exchange looks and glance at the door suspiciously. Serra reached under the couch and pulled out one of her twin silver-on-black Colt .45s and took the safety off carefully as Grace stood and headed towards the door, checking the peephole before turning back to her sister and nodding once. Serra put the safety back on her weapon and stowed it under the couch once more.

Grace opened the door grinning. "Santiago Adaka'i," she greeted, "how the hell are you?"

"Grace Browning," he replied, stepping forward to hug Grace with both arms. She froze momentarily as his thoughts and memories streamed through her mind upon the physical contact. His long, stick straight black hair fell over Grace's shoulder as they embraced. As he stepped into the living room, he nodded towards Serra, who was putting books aside to stand and greet him as well. "Serendipity," he smiled.

Serra walked towards him, arms out, and returned his greeting. "I hate it when you call me that," she whispered. Santiago chuckled and released her, keeping one arm over her shoulders. She glanced towards the door, expecting someone to follow Santiago through. "Where is Miguel?"

Breaking eye contact, Santiago stared at the ground and pressed his lips together in a fine line. Serra glanced at Grace and questioned her silently, knowing that Grace had probably seen the memory. She shook her head at Serra in return, looking away.

Serra took a shaky breath and stepped away from the taller man. "No," she muttered, sitting on the edge of the coffee table to face him. Grace closed the door and moved into the dining room, where she leaned against the counter top to listen to their old friend.

Santiago and Miguel Adaka'i were part of a hunting family that took Serra in for a few weeks after she and Grace's father and Emery died. Serra had run away, leaving Grace to handle things alone for a time while Serra figured out how to continue without any of the other adults in her life. Miguel was Serra's first lover and she sought refuge in his dark eyes and long arms for nights on end until reality set in and a trip to Planned Parenthood ended the affair. The Browning and Adaka'i families had worked together on several occasions through the years and the girls felt more than comfortable with them.

The sadness in Santiago's eyes caused physical pain for Serra and she reached for his arm and begged for information. "Holy shit, Santi. How?" she asked, tears shining in her eyes.

"Fang down in Atlanta about six months back," he replied simply. "Miguel was never as fast as you."

Serra tried to hold back the tear that dripped down her cheek, but wiped it away before it could fall to her lap. "I'm so sorry, Santiago. Do you need anything?"

Santiago swallowed and smiled weakly. "No," he replied. "I was simply in the area and wanted to drop by to say hello."

"Are you and the cousins going after the vengeful spirit in Hesper?" Grace asked; her voice quiet. "We've heard about it a couple of times, but I don't think we're going after it."

Santiago nodded and smiled. "Yeah, we picked up a guy outside of there, doing the same thing. It's weird to have a concentration of hunters so close together over a vengeful spirit."

"Oh, yeah?" Serra asked, leaning forward. "Who is it?"

Santiago turned towards Grace and smiled. "His name is Dean Winchester."

Grace laughed softly and shook her head. "Why are you looking at me? I don't know him."

Shrugging, Santiago chuckled quietly. "He's about your age. Tall, dark, and handsome," he described, putting his hands in his pockets. "Unless you'll finally take me up on my offer, that is."

"Sorry, Santi. I don't date hunters," she replied.

"I never said anything about dating," Santiago whispered, lifting his eyebrows.

Grace closed her eyes and shook her head, embarrassed. Changing subjects, Grace turned towards Serra and said, "We haven't eaten yet. You wanna go grab some grub and catch up?"

"The guys are in the truck," Santi answered. "Unless all of us are invited?"

Serra wiped her face and stood, recovering immediately. "Oh hell, yeah," she exclaimed. "I'd rather catch up than try and study."

Santiago grinned and nodded as Grace turned and grabbed her purse and a flannel. "We'll meet you and the guys at the diner."

"Where your dad used to take us?" Santiago asked, pulling his keys from his pocket.

Nodding, Serra answered, "Yeah. We're right behind you."

…

Grace and Serra pulled up to the restaurant in Grace's bright red, four-door Toyota hatchback and parked in between Santiago's old, beat up Blazer and a beautiful, sleek black Impala. "Wow," Grace muttered. "Check out the sixty-seven."

Serra turned to stare out the driver's side window and nodded her agreement. "That's hot," she replied. "We could boost it."

Grace clicked her tongue. "Serendipity," she sighed. "We're just getting all legal and established. We don't need grand theft auto to magically appear on our records."

Opening the passenger door to greet Santiago and his cousins, Serra hugged each one of them in turn. "God, it's good to see you guys," she said as she stood back. She glanced back towards her sister and hesitated before speaking, noticing that Grace was already locked in conversation with a tall man wearing an older green Army jacket and a blue flannel. He leaned against the Impala that she and Grace noticed when they pulled up and in one look, she could tell that Grace was into him. His arms were folded across his chest, but as Serra watched, Grace moved closer to him and he unfolded his arms; his body language inviting her closer.

Serra shook her head in awe of her sister. If it was one thing Grace could do really well, it was to get a man to do whatever she wanted.

"Do you know that guy?" Serra asked Santiago, gesturing to the man standing next to Grace.

Santiago nodded, smiling knowingly. "Yeah," he began, his eyebrows waggling. "That's the guy I was telling you about; the other hunter we picked up." Glancing back at them, Grace was smiling confidently and the other hunter leaned closer to her still. He chuckled and looked down at his boots, then lifted his eyelids just enough to stare into Grace's gaze. Santiago laughed and leaned close to Serendipity. "I thought she said she didn't date other hunters."

"Who said anything about dating?" Serra replied, pulling Santiago into the restaurant by the arm.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Four Years To Go

Dean Winchester leaned up against his Impala and tried not to smile at the woman before him. He was still raw from fighting with Sam and the memory of his little brother taking off (again) because of something he did made him ache. Dean had definitely been around the block when it came to women, but this one caught him off guard. It's like she was a magnet and his body took over, wanting to be as physically close to her as possible.

He glanced up at the group of hunters he had run into during the sweep of the old house down in Hesper, smiling lightly. He knew that this was the girl that Santiago had brought up a few days back. Dean shrugged him off then, trying to avoid getting locked back into his hometown with someone he didn't know. He liked staying focused before a hunt and the female body distracted him in a way that did not bode well for his concentration.

"How do you know Santiago and the guys?" Dean asked, pulling his arms away from his body to support his weight on the hood of his car. "You don't look like you belong in a crowd like that one."

Grace glanced back at Santiago and his cousins. "We go way back," she explained, stepping closer to Dean. "We're all in the same business."

Dean felt himself lift his eyelids just enough to gaze into her blue eyes. "You're a hunter," he stated, not wasting any time.

"Once upon a time," she answered, taking another agonizing step. He licked his lips and swallowed hard, trying his best to push away the lust that rolled through him. "We're trying to get out," she continued, gesturing backwards towards the little brunette that arrived with her. "Only take jobs close to home."

Dean licked his lips and leaned forward slightly. "I'm Dean," he said, finally giving in. She was saying all the right things and he couldn't help the hand that reached out to shake hers.

She took a deep breath as she glanced at his hand. Gabriel took and involuntary step towards the couple, standing just outside of the light that shone down from the overhead fluorescents and grimaced. This was usually the most difficult part of their initial meet. Grace still hesitated taking on physical contact because she hated being shoved into the subconscious thoughts of the person she touched. "Oh, come on," he moaned. "Just do it already."

Eros appeared next to Gabriel and stood, pressing his lips together in a tight, disapproving glare. "They meet naturally in four more years. Why can't you just wait it out?"

"You were all go, no quit not too long ago," Gabriel said, not glancing up at his friend. "A Grean Groupie, for sure."

"Grean? What is Grean?"

"Grace and Dean's 'ship name," Gabriel whined, staring at Eros. "I thought it was clever." He tilted his head and thought momentarily. "Is Drace better?"

Eros ignored him and shook his head. "We're hearing a lot of things about them," he explained as he watched Dean open the passenger door to the Impala and gestured for Grace to get in. "More rumors. Nothing confirmed."

Gabriel nodded. "That's why I wanted them to be together now. So much less complicated. They can just screw without worrying about their fate."

Grace leaned forward as Dean whispered something in her ear. She smiled, looking down at the ground and shook her head, gesturing towards the restaurant. "What did he say?" Eros asked, leaning forward towards the couple anxiously.

"Grean forever," Gabriel whispered, grinning so that his dimples showed. He chuckled as they watched Dean convince Grace to get in the car with him, opening the door for her and pointing inside while still holding her hand. She gave one last look towards the entrance at the restaurant and sighed, taking out her phone. She tapped out a text and glanced back towards Dean. He leaned towards her, his mouth slightly open, just begging to be kissed.

Grace gave in almost immediately, closing the gap between their faces. She kept her eyes open, staring at his face just long enough for Gabriel to realize that she was surprised that Dean had kept contact with her so that she would be present for the kiss…not having to worry about being shoved back into his subconscious for three seconds while his memories played through her mind.

Eros sighed contentedly. "They're so romantic," he said, his eyes not leaving the couple. "He understands her so well already. It's been what, three minutes?"

Gabriel nodded sadly. "Yeah," he answered, turning to stare at Eros. "And you guys want them to wait."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Two Years To Go

Grace rolled to her side and smiled at the beautiful man lying next to her as sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains. He was still asleep, face down in the pillows, and completely nude, the sheet barely covering the curve of his rear. His muscular back rose and fell with each breath he took and she decided to take the time to try and memorize his features. There were countless scars on his arms and hands, a giant red handprint scar across his shoulder, and he had a protective sigil tattoo on his chest. Grace knew very well that he was a hunter and earlier in her life, she had promised herself that she wouldn't date hunters, knowing how big the risk of loss was…but this man. He made her forget the promise she made to herself immediately. She adjusted carefully, trying her best not to wake him up, but as soon as she moved, he moved his face towards hers, shifting position and ruffling his light brown hair in the most awkward and adorable way.

His green eyes peeked open and he grinned, making eye contact with her. "Hiya, gorgeous," he whispered.

"Hey stranger," she answered, almost like a reflex.

Reaching across the pillows, Dean Winchester used the tips of his fingers to brush her long blonde hair away from her face. She froze slightly upon his touch as his memories seeped into her mind. Waiting patiently, he considered her momentarily and smiled when her blue eyes found his once more. "What do you see when we touch?" he asked, moving closer.

"Everything," she answered quietly. "There's more in your mind that most others'."

He licked his lips and flipped to his side, still holding physical contact with her. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"Since I was fourteen."

"Wait, wait, wait," Pahaliah's voice rang out through the hotel room that Dean and Grace shared.

Gabriel immediately sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to face the female angel and shush her, putting one finger across his lips. "You are so loud!" he said, turning back towards the bed and sitting with his legs folded under him as he sat on top of the bar near the door of the room. "They're getting to know each other."

"Exactly! This can't be happening, Gabriel! What will the other angels do to me when they find out that I can't control you?" She clicked her tongue and approached his position, making a point to stand in between the bed and Gabriel. "You have erased their memories so many times, that eventually, you're going to miss something. They'll remember each other!"

Gabriel smiled mischievously. "Maybe that's kind of my point!" he exclaimed as he jumped down from the bar and walked closer to the couple lying in bed. "They have been through so much shit, maybe it would be nice to have a good memory to look back on every once and a while."

"They cannot remember each other, Gabriel. They cannot know each other until it is time. We have been through this over and over again. You are messing with their lives."

"Why? Why is there such a strict timeline?" Gabriel put his hands on his hips and gestured to Dean. "Look at him, Pahaliah. Look how happy he is. You can't tell me that Heaven is against his happiness."

Pahaliah shook her head. "I am not telling you that Heaven is against either one of them being happy," she explained. "But if they join together now, their timeline will begin without key components of their lives. Dean has not been Marked yet and you know very well, it is The Mark of Cain that puts Grace on the path to realizing her true form."

"That true form is what almost gets her killed," Gabriel muttered, licking his lips. "The garrison will come after them. They'll try and kill her…but what if they are together now? What if she never matures?"

"Then the Winchesters will not produce the children that will grow into the saviors of this planet," she answered, her voice almost a whisper. "Gabriel, I am pleading with you: Every detail matters. This timeline is so much bigger than you understand."

"I don't understand because no one will give me details."

"Father is the only one that knows all of them. We have to trust him."

Gabriel clicked his tongue and turned to stare at Grace and Dean as they wrapped themselves around each other. They kissed passionately and Dean sighed in contentment. "How can we trust a Father that we haven't seen in millennia?"

"You are one of the Seven. You, of all angels, should know to hold on to your faith," Pahaliah said, her face begging Gabriel to understand. "I need you to understand how important they are."

He turned away from Dean and Grace and sighed heavily. "Fine," he replied, finally giving in. "I'll let it go. For now."

"It's for the best, Gabriel," she Pahaliah replied. "Wait two years. Then you can play match maker as much as you see fit."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Three Nights Before

"I just can't get him out of my head," Grace explained, exasperatedly to her sister. "It's like my subconscious mind is obsessed with him and I feel like I know him already."

"So go out and find him," Serra said, chewing on the beef jerky she held. "Quit complaining about it. It's getting friggin' annoying."

Grace rolled her eyes. Going out to find someone that she dreamed about was not exactly something she ever thought was a good idea. Too many times in her life, her visions had led her to something more dangerous than she was ready for.

"What if the visions are trying to warn me? What if they're setting me up for disappointment?" Grace asked, shaking her head. She stood up to pace around the living room again, scattering some of Serra's biology notes to the floor.

Staring and chewing passive-aggressively at her sister, Serendipity lifted her eyebrows. "Are you done?" she asked. Grace shrugged in response, spurring Serra further. "Look, your visions or dreams or whatever are usually pretty specific. If this guy is someone you meet up with at a bar and you don't see him attack or kill you, I think you're in the clear. Maybe your mind just really wants to get laid." She picked up the books she had laying on the couch and turned her body to face her sister. "Changing subjects, though, because I'm bored with yours, we need to think about heading after that rougarou. Pretty sure it's what took out that couple outside of town."

Shaking her head and sighing, Grace nodded and got to work, organizing the news stories that Serra had printed out at school. She was right; for now, they had civilians to protect.

…

"Leave me the fuck alone," Dean growled, turning to face Sammy. He was sweaty and rage boiled just beneath the surface. The Mark of Cain glowed faintly under the flannel sleeve that had begun to unroll down Dean's right arm.

Sam held up his hands and sighed. "Okay, okay," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, Dean." Sam watched as Dean turned away from him and paced around the main room of the Batcave. He knew that his brother was on the verge of destroying something, so he did his best just to stay calm and wait for him to regain control. These days, though, it was getting harder and harder.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Dean turned back towards Sam. "I thought you said you had figured out what it was," he spat, shrugging out of the flannel and tossing it onto the back of the couch. "You said we'd get to hunt tonight."

"I know," Sammy agreed, nodding. "I did. It's a rougarou, but…I watched a bonfire last night. Two girls in the alleyway behind a hardware store where I thought the nest was. They were burning something that smelled suspiciously like flesh. I think they're hunters and I'm betting that they beat us to it."

Without warning, Dean turned towards the bookcase that Sam had just finished organizing the night before and pushed with all his might, tipping the ancient books out of the wooden shelves and making a huge pile on the floor. The bookcase collapsed on top of the heap and Dean stood back, clenching his jaw and squeezing his eyes shut. Sam closed his eyes, holding his tongue.

Striding across the floor, Dean didn't look back as he headed towards the steps that lead to the foyer of the Batcave. He grabbed a jacket, his flannel, wallet, and keys, and without another word, left Sammy standing in the middle of the library, wondering what to do next.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Night Before

Gabriel watched quietly from his position behind the sleazy bar called 'After Hours' as Dean pulled up in the Impala. He stopped hard enough to make his tires squeal on the asphalt and as he slammed the door to the car, Gabriel sighed and smiled as Eros appeared.

"Your night has finally arrived," Eros whispered. "Are you going to go in and watch?"

Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows. "Of course I am," he said, laughing ironically. "Almost a decade of waiting for these two and you think I'm going to bail now?"

Nodding, Eros fell into step next to him, adjusting the light blue underwear he proudly wore. "Well, knowing that Pahaliah won't be coming to interrupt this time is inspiring. I'm joining you."

The pair walked into the bar, still invisible to the mortal's eye and took a seat at the far corner of the bar, watching as Dean attempted to drown his sorrows and anger in a glass of amber liquid. He rubbed his face with both of his hands and then stared at the wood grain beneath his glass, tracing it occasionally with his finger.

"How long until she gets here?" Eros whispered, knowing full well that Dean would not hear.

Gabriel didn't look at Eros, waving a hand dismissively towards the cupid. "Shush," he answered.

Only seconds later, the door swung open and a tall woman with a long, blonde braid came in and glanced around, almost as if she was looking for someone. Eros was positively bouncing with excitement. "Look! Look!" he whispered, taking Gabriel by his shoulders and shaking him. "She's here!"

Allowing himself a small smile, Gabriel sighed and nodded. "She's here," he repeated.

Grace Browning sat down on the stool next to Dean Winchester and glanced at him after ordering her own drink. She raked her eyes over his entire body and sighed lightly, obviously coming to the conclusion that he was why she was there and both Eros and Gabriel waited, their fingers near their mouths in anticipation.

"Can I get you a refill?" she asked gently.

Dean's eyes flicked towards her as he inspected her quietly. "I was about to head home and try and get some sleep. Maybe tonight's the night I get my four hours." His voice was rough and she could tell immediately that it was filled with emotion. Grace stared forward, searching her mind for anything to say to keep him on the barstool.

Gabriel and Eros were practically falling off their own barstools as they waited.

"Story of my life," Grace whispered. "It's been about a week since I've gotten even that." She tilted her head and faced Dean to ask, "How long has it been for you?"

Dean locked his jaw together, squeezing his teeth together as he breathed. "About the same for me," he agreed, his voice low.

The bartender slid Grace's whiskey glass towards her and she reached out her hand naturally to catch it. The edge of the glass couldn't contain the liquid, however, and she bent to lick the spill from her hand as Dean watched.

"Look at that," Grace said as she turned and blinked slowly; seductively. "We've got something in common already." Dean licked his lips and tried to hide the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth by glancing down at his hands.

Eros sighed and clapped his hands together. "Man, she's a pro. Hooked him like it was nothing."

Gabriel and Eros listened and could hear Dean order another drink. "Dean Winchester," he said, holding out his hand expectantly.

She hesitated only for a second after introducing herself. "Grace Browning," she answered, taking his hand. Dean observed as Grace dove into his subconscious mind when they made physical contact. Dean's eyebrows furrowed as he watched Grace's gaze fade away, staring off into nothing for about three seconds.

After the initial, brief discussion about Grace's psychic abilities, Dean had waved down the bartender to order more drinks for both of them and they had been engaged in conversation the entire time, slowly closing the gap between their bodies. Minutes turned into hours and eventually, the bartender was giving Grace and Dean a Mason jar containing the bill. Dean reached for it and threw cash inside, glancing up at Grace as she pulled on her coat.

"This is so much better, knowing that we won't have to break them up at the end of the night," Eros commented as he watched Dean stand and lean towards Grace, pausing as soon as he was an eyelash's distance from her face.

The corner of Dean's mouth pulled up, into a smirk and he pursed his lips, still just a breath away from contact. "What did you see?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Grace stared up at him, almost leaning into his chest with desire. A smile spread to her blue eyes and she bit her bottom lip, staring up at him. "Call me," she answered. Then she turned towards the door of the bar and headed outside and Dean closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

He followed her out into the parking lot and Eros whipped around to face Gabriel. "They don't have sex tonight?" Eros asked, a feeling of betrayal seeping through his body.

Gabriel grinned and shook his head, raising his eyebrows. "What do you want from me? They're older now, more responsible." He pointed towards the door as he got down from the barstool, rubbing his back and stretching. "He doesn't want to run the risk of killing her because of The Mark."

"How long do I have to wait to find out?"

"It's not a friggin' novella," Gabriel answered, striding outside towards the parking lot as well. "I don't know the exact play by play. I'm just happy they finally made contact and that I don't have to erase their memories of it later."

Eros shook his head while gripping his hair. "This is infuriating!" he gasped. "I can't wait!"

"You're gonna have to," Gabriel answered, chuckling.

Dean started the Impala and followed Grace down the street, barely idling to keep up with her. "You sure you don't want me to give you a ride home?" he asked, rolling down the window.

She glanced through the window and shook her head. "I live, literally, down the street. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

"Well," Dean chuckled. "I'm still gonna follow you home."

"Like a puppy?" she asked, still walking next to the Impala.

Dean simply smiled, staring at her through the open driver's side window. As they reached the end of the block, Grace pointed to the two-story house and smiled. "This is me," she said. "I told you I was close."

He looked up at it and nodded. "Now I know where you live," he said, winking.

"So you can whisk me away?" she answered flirtatiously, giving Eros a reason to clap his hands together and stand on his tiptoes, waiting eagerly.

Gabriel shook his head slowly. "Oh, Jesus, calm down," he said to Eros. "You're fangirling a bit too hard right now. Take it down a notch."

Dean leaned out the window and nodded, unaware of Gabriel and Eros' interactions. "What could you do to stop me?"

Grace strode up to the open window and bent down to stare at Dean, leaning on the door of the Impala. Dean licked his lips once more, trying to be calm and collected. He wanted her so badly, but knew The Mark was too big of a risk for her safety. She took a breath and smiled again. "I wouldn't want to stop you," she answered quietly. "There wouldn't be anything in your way."

He took a deep, shaky breath and resisted pulling her into the window to kiss her. "Don't tempt me," he whispered.

They stared at each other longingly for more than a few seconds, but then, without warning, Grace stood and turned towards the house, waving over her shoulder. "It was nice to meet you, Dean Winchester," she called.

"Yeah," Dean murmured, mostly to himself. "You too, Gracie." He took out his phone and tapped out a text, Eros straining to read what it said. Dean watched her go into the house, close the door, and shut off the lights before he pulled the car into drive and sped away.

"I feel so unsatisfied!" Eros cried, throwing his hands down to his sides. "They should be writhing around, tangled in sheets by now!"

Gabriel sighed and nodded. "Agreed," he answered, staring at Dean's taillights as they lit at the stop sign down the street. "Give them a day or two. We'll get there."


	11. Chapter 11

**This brings us to the end of _Deja Vu_. Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy adventure...this story was so much fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please let me know what you think!**

Lots of love and internetty hugs,

**The Girl with the Dinosaur Tattoo**

...

Chapter 11

The Day Of

Gabriel and Eros stood in the middle of the girls' living room and stared, waiting for Grace's phone to do something—anything that would give them hope about the bond forming between she and Dean. Grace had fallen asleep in the chair as Serra studied and evening was setting in.

"I'm so bored!" Eros whined, exasperated. "This is why I don't watch humans unless they're doing something exciting."

Gabriel waved him off and pointed. "Just hold it together," he replied, still staring forward. "Her phone is right there and it should be ringing any second, now."

Grace awoke and talked with Serra for a while, pushing the limits of Eros and Gabriel's patience. When Dean finally called, Gabriel shook his head. "They're too grown up. This is taking forever," he mumbled. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Can't we fast forward or something?" Eros replied, putting his hands on his hips. "Or just come back later?"

Gabriel was nodding as he munched on popcorn. "Yeah," he said, his mouth full, "later is good. Let's do that."

…

Tapping Gabriel on the shoulder insistently, Eros gasped. "She's still wearing those ugly red pants!" he whispered as he and Gabriel appeared outside the Impala, watching Dean walk around the car to take her hand and wait the customary three seconds before proceeding. They had arrived at the Men of Letters bunker just in time. Eros could hardly contain his excitement.

Gabriel took another handful of popcorn and shoved it into his mouth. He shrugged and smiled wryly, showing off his deep dimples. "It's not what she's wearing," he began, smiling to himself. "It's what she's not."

"That doesn't even make any sense," Eros argued, making a face.

They both turned to follow Dean and Grace into the Men of Letters bunker and as Gabriel tried to take a step forward through the threshold, he seemed to hit an invisible barrier, keeping him outside of the foyer. "What the?" Gabriel muttered, glancing up at the door closed in front of him. "Why can't we get in?"

"What?" Eros yelled, approaching the door. "What are you talking about?" Eros approached the door and closed his eyes, trying to force his way through the boundary of the Winchester's home. He exchanged a panicked look with Gabriel and seemed as though he was about to cry. "All this waiting? All this time and we can't even watch?" Eros screamed. "No! They finally end up together! You don't even have to erase their memories this time! We _have_ to see the finale!"

Gabriel stared at the door and sighed heavily, completely at a loss. "There must be some sort of protective enchantments around the building," he said, mostly explaining to himself. "There has to be something keeping us out."

"But Castiel! He can come and go as he pleases!"

"He's also invited in," Gabriel argued. "There must be a difference."

Just then, Eros let out a wail of despair and fell to his knees in the leaves and mud. "No!" he shouted. "There has to be a way! Let's reroute them to sleep together the first time at her house!" He covered his face and repeated, "There has to be a way!"

"They're already inside," Gabriel muttered. "It's too late."

Eros stared up at Gabriel and had tears in his eyes with mud spread across his face and chest. He looked absolutely pathetic. "This is worse than the cable going out during the finale of _Friends._ I had to wait a week to find out if Rachel got off the plane!"

"Stop being so dramatic," Gabriel answered, shaking his head. "We know they screw. We know they end up together. We just...don't get to see it this time."

Eros whined again, his head falling back onto his shoulders as he closed his eyes. "After all this? After all this time, we have to just walk away?"

"Yep," Gabriel said, already walking towards the trees, popcorn still in hand. "I guess so."

…

Inside his room, Dean stared into Grace's blue eyes and smiled as he peeled the tank top up and over her head, never breaking physical contact with her body. He didn't want to lose her, even for the few seconds it would take for her to come back. More than anything, he wanted to make sure she was present for the entire night. Dean had some big plans that involved those red sweatpants being unceremoniously dumped into a pile at the foot of his bed.

Grace closed her eyes as Dean bent to kiss her deeply, wrapping his strong hands around the back of her head, tangling in her hair, and she sighed in contentment as the rest of her life unfolded before her.


End file.
